Ledecky Fastest Miler in the World, Video Interview

Women’s 1500 Freestyle – 2013 World Championship Trials – as reported by swimswam:

It’s the Katie Ledecky show in the women’s distance freestyles in the United States. She was ahead of the World Record pace for the first half of this race, swam a World leader time of 15:47.15 to just jump Great Britain’s Jazmin Carlin, broke Janet Evans’ National Age Group and Meet Records, and none of those facts is the most impressive part of this swim.

The most impressive part of this swim was how hard Ledecky took the swim out. Though in post-race interviews she said she was trying to be ‘controlled,’ she had little to lose in the race. As the winner of the 800, she had the option to swim this 1500 regardless of how she finished here. She ended up taking this race out in an 8:22.61, which might sound familiar, because she won the individual 800 in 8:22.41. That’s a two-tenths-of-a-second difference, and though her pace withered ever-so-slightly, she certainly didn’t die. She mustered enough energy to close in 29.1, which was the fastest 50 of any split of any race for the entire field.

Few people can take out a distance race like Ledecky does, but Carlin was out in 8:24, so she wouldn’t be too far behind if things play out the same way.

This World Record, that they’re both five seconds away from, looks like one of the more probable victims of the World Championships.

In 2nd place was Chloe Sutton in 16:07.75. She’ll have the option to swim this race in Barcelona, though with how good she’s looked in the shorter 400 and 800 at this meet, she might give strong thought to whether she needs to accept that challenge. Haley Anderson, who’s already qualified for open water, placed 3rd in 16:12.29. That’s her best time by 6 seconds.

North Baltimore’s Gillian Ryan was 4th in 16:19.20, which is just ahead of the top time out of the early heats Alicia Mathieu from Florida.

Video edit by Coleman Hodges.